


Changing the Narrative

by TheCreatorOfTales



Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And then I dumped canon in the lake and decided to do what I wanted instead, Domestic, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Grace Bennett is a little matchmaker, Humor, Protectice!Vera, Protective!Joan, Vera with a backbone, i saw canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCreatorOfTales/pseuds/TheCreatorOfTales
Summary: Grace Bennett is born two years before Joan Ferguson becomes Governor of Wentworth.This changes everything.
Relationships: Vera Bennett/Joan Ferguson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Changing the Narrative

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, you lovely people! 
> 
> This is something that popped into my head and needed to be put on paper. It will be 5 chapters in total, I think. 
> 
> The next two chapters of GFSKYO is in progress, as is Stepping into Midnight and Bite the Bullet. As much as I'd love to spend all my time updating my fics, I'm a key worker so I'm working a lot more at the minute. 
> 
> As always, i appreciate every read on my fics, every single kudos and comments :)

Vera Bennett finished the paperwork and slammed the folder shut with a sigh. The new governor would be starting in two weeks, and in all honesty, she would be glad for it. It meant that she’d be back to her normal routine with Grace, although Linda had helped out a lot with making sure Vera had been able to go home at 6pm every night to be back for the childminder.

_Fucking Erica Davidson._

The previous governor had left with no warning, and no time to prepare. It meant that Vera was taking a lot of paperwork home with her to work on after Grace was put to bed and trying to juggle being the Acting Governor and still keeping some sort of routine for her daughter.

She was just glad that she wasn’t living with her mother anymore. Her mother had threatened to kick her out if she kept the baby, like she wasn’t a fully grown woman. So Vera had pre-empted her threat, and had 2 suitcases and a box of her more sentimental items waiting by the door, and had walked out the house that night, and had settled in an AirBnB whilst she looked for an apartment that would be enough for her and the baby. She hadn’t spoken to her mother since, ignoring any calls and eventually, Rita Bennett stopped calling.

Now, Vera and Grace were settled in an apartment with a generous balcony, which Vera loved, and it was filled with natural light and plenty of room for the both of them. She was determined that her daughter wouldn’t be raised like she was, and she would never worry about talking to her. She’d been six months pregnant when she’d managed to track down the one night stand that had resulted in Grace, and he’d been relieved when she asked him to sign over his parental rights. He wasn’t nasty about it, he was polite and civil but was apologetic that he hadn’t been more careful. He and Vera had parted ways with no hard feelings, and legal papers in Vera’s hands stating that Grace was wholly Vera’s responsibility.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.

“Vera? Just to let you know that it’s nearly 6.” Linda poked her head around the door, motioning to her watch and Vera swore under her breath, and begins turning off the computer on the desk.

“Thanks Linda, looks like I’ve got another pile to take home with me.” She rolls her eyes, and the blonde makes a sympathetic face.

“Give Gracie a hug from me, yeah? See you tomorrow.” With a small smile, Linda shuts the door and disappears back into the general area of the prison.

Within ten minutes, Vera was out of the building, and in the car, pulling out of the car park and on her way to the childminder’s house to pick up Grace.

She listened with a fond grin as Grace babbled about her day, and how she’d spent some of the time painting and colouring – the results of that past-time was tucked in her backpack, no doubt. It doesn’t take them long to reach home, and Vera notices the moving van pull out of the car park as she pulls in.

“Well, Gracie, looks like we have new neighbours!”

“Cool!” Vera couldn’t hide her grin at the little girl’s response. She’d been entranced by Frozen, just like every other child it seemed, and everything was either ‘Elsa!’ this, ‘let it go’ that, or ‘cool.’

It wasn’t too much of a problem to manage the huge pile of folders, and Grace, and the little girl was well-behaved. Until they reached the lobby, and she ran forward, her backpack bouncing on her back as she rushed towards the elevators. The toddler loved to press the button for their floor, but usually waited.

“Grace!”

Vera’s heart plummeted to her toes as Grace made a beeline for the open elevator door, until a tall, dark haired woman stepped into the little girl’s path, balancing a box on her hip and stopping Grace in her tracks.

“Careful, speedy!” Vera watches as the woman crouches down, and places the box on the floor. Grace is apparently entranced, and bounces on her toes, making her pigtails move. “Now, I think the elevator wont work without your mum, hm?”

“You’re big.”

Vera watches as the woman laughs a husky chuckle.

“Yes, I am. But you’re also quite small,” there’s no malice in the woman’s voice, and the patient tone and smile shows Grace that she’s teasing. The little girl giggles. Vera gets close enough to see the woman’s face. She looks up, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and offering a small smile.

“Thank you, for stopping her. She loves to press the buttons for the elevator.” Vera apologises, seeing as her daughter won’t understand the need to. The woman is pale, with dark hair and eyes, and Vera can see that by her ear where she tucked a lock of hair behind, there are a few strands of silver. Vera watches as she turns back to her daughter and smiles.

“Pushing the buttons is a very important job.”

“Yep!” Grace decides that she likes this lady, she’s very nice.

“But I think that the elevator only works when you AND your mum is in it.” She looks up at Vera, and then back at Grace who is looking at her curiously, like she doesn’t believe her. “Want to see?” She pushes the box towards the toddler and pats it. “Look after this for me for a minute, please?” Grace places two little hands on the top and Vera watches with curiosity as the woman gets up, and steps into the elevator after pressing the button and then looks at Grace.

“Watch,” she says, and Vera can see in the back mirror of the elevator that the woman is pressing the button that holds the elevator doors open. But Grace wouldn’t know the difference.

“Do you see? It wont move.” She steps back out of the elevator and crouches back down. “So you’ll have to wait for your mum to get it to work.” She winks at her, making the toddler grin and then look back at her mother. The dark haired woman grasps the box and rises to her feet. Her eyes flick down to Vera’s uniform, noticing the logo. Vera offers a friendly smile.

“Thank you. I’m Vera, and this is Grace.” Vera introduces her little family unit. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but we’ve both got our hands full, it seems.” She gestures to the pile of files in her arms with her head and the other woman chuckles.

“I’m Joan. Ferguson. New arrival in the building.” She shifts the box in her arms and the name sounds familiar to Vera.

_Joan? Joan Ferguson? How do I know that name?_

_“_ Do you happen to start a new job soon?” Vera asks, and watches as Joan’s eyebrow twitches upwards in interest.

“I do, indeed. Wentworth. How did you know?”

“It looks like I will be your Deputy Governor.” Vera watches as the woman’s eyebrows raise in surprise, a smile on her face.

“Well well. Concidence, indeed!” They share a laugh at how the circumstances have lined up, and Joan reaches over to press the button to make the elevator doors open again. “Hop on in, Grace. Vera.”

They ride the elevator together up to the fifth floor, where Joan steps out, and turns to offer a small wave to the little girl and small smile.

“Well, hopefully I will see you soon, Vera.”

Grace’s cheerful ‘Bye!’ makes her grin and Vera gives a small wave as the door close.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are always appreciative! <3


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